Posts Tagged ‘perfect’

Just hear me out! There’s a way to wear foundation but make it look like you’re not. Of course you have to first pick a foundation that becomes one with your skin as opposed to creating a mask, then take a second and go back and do this! Even if you don’t have them! Here’s why: if you have freckles and you wear foundation, they get covered up. If you weren’t wearing foundation, they’d show. So perfect your skin with foundation, then go back and dot on a dozen freckles and it will create the illusion that you’re not wearing any foundation! Because if you were, they’d be covered up. Make sense? And for an added bonus, freckles have something very youthful about them, so you’ll look younger too. Here’s how!

TOOLS:

A Blendable Foundation — This one ($$) and this one ($) are water-based and formulated to melt into your skin and become one with it instead of sitting on top.

A Brown Kohl Pencil — Pick a longwear formula so it lasts but one that you can also sharpen into a fine point as opposed to a self-sharpening one that you can’t. (Try this one in Espresso).

STEPS:

First apply foundation all over your face and neck as you usually would.

Next stipple on the cream blush on the top half of the apple and along the cheekbone.

Go back and dot on four to five freckles on one cheek. Add a few on the nose as well.

Do the same on the other cheek.

Now give the freckles a light tap to press it into the skin.

You can go back and spot powder lightly with an eyeshadow brush any areas that tend to get shiny. Just make sure to use translucent powder so it doesn’t cover up the freckles and undo the illusion. By the way, my lighting was so gorgeous for this shoot that it some of the freckles got blown out. But trust me, in person you can really see them and it’s worth trying out!

When it comes to makeup artistry, you have to master the kohl pencil. It’s been around for a very long time and for good reason. So why not learn how to use it the most effectively? Here’s how: (more…)

Like most matters of artistry, this is a debatable subject… but using this method to match foundation to skin tone has never served me wrong, while trying to match it to the cheek has. Here’s why. Your neck is shadowed by your chin and jaw, meaning it gets less exposure to the sun and is closer to your own natural skin tone than your face or chest. Something magical happens when you find your exact foundation color; it melts into the skin and brings it to life rather than creating a mask with a shade color that’s off a little. It’s so worth it! Here’s how:

Step outside into natural but indirect sunlight. If you’re at a department store, ask for a mirror to take outside with you and a couple different shades (grab a yellow-based and a pink-based foundation to see which one disappears more into your skin.

Lift your chin slightly and apply a finger stroke as shown above.

Follow with a couple more swatches next to each other to really see which one is right for you.

Then when you find your perfect shade, please don’t forget to apply it to your neck as well as your face so it all becomes one canvas. And if you’re wearing a low neckline, apply it to your chest too.

That’s it! You can do this method with liquid or cream formulas as well as BB creams. Good luck! And in case you’re going to ask, for any makeup pro’s out there the Bobbi Brown BBU Palette shown above is a must-have investment!